The present invention is directed to a hand squeezable toy and more particularly to one of unique dimensional memory properties.
The molding of toy figures from foamable polyurethane and other polymers is known. The resulting toy figures can range from doll-like figures to the most bizarre imaginary space creatures. Additives, colorants, perfumants, and mold shapes add distinctive touches and features to the various figures. For example, some of the toy figures feel very slimy while others are very hard and impact-resistant.
Of course, some of the formulations have utility outside the toy field. For example, foamaceous polyurethane ear plugs, nose plugs, and the like have been developed for swimmers for example. A variety of other useful products are made from foamable urethane and like polymers. Still, most of these toy and other products are made to retain their original dimensional shape. That is, when the products are compressed, they readily spring back to their original configuration. While such memory retention function is necessary for most useful articles, the same may not be true when toy and novelty items are involved. For example, certain toy products have been developed which possess an unusual modulus of elasticity which permits them to be stretched and then returned to their original configuration readily.
Addressing ear plugs and like articles, low resiliency urethane foams have been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,158,087. These foams are made from a polyoxyalkylene urethane prepolymer, water, and a synthetic polymer latex. An increase in the synthetic polymer latex results in a lowering of the resiliency of the foam. The present invention improves upon such urethane foams for toy and novelty items.